Destiny's Choice
by Jocelyn Magus
Summary: Devon is sent from the U.S. (get over it!) to Valdemar, but will the Heralds trust her or will she be forced out of the palace, Companion and all?
1. A Flawless Facade

_*~*I own nothing of Valdemar, or any of the characters except __Devon__, Rob, Greg and Dina. Go sue someone with money.*~*  
  
            Devon was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when her friend Greg knocked on her bedroom door. She and Greg were next door neighbors as well as friends, and had known each other since they were in diapers. That didn't mean, however, that she wanted him in her room when she wasn't ready, though.  
  
            "I'll be ready in a minute! Go sit in your chair while you wait!" Devon shouted as she searched through the mess of makeup items on her dresser to find an appropriate eyeshadow. There was a fairly comfortable chair next to the table in her hall with a phone on it, and whenever Greg came over and she wasn't ready he sat in it.  
  
            "I know it's here somewhere...." Devon mumbled to herself, then came up with a muffled exclamation of triumph when she found the shimmery gold she was looking for. She'd bought it especially for Halloween, for her dress, knowing it would be perfect. It was gold, true, but a very pale gold, almost matching her clear amber eyes. Greg knocked again as she finished dusting it on her eyes.  
  
            "I said I'm almost done!" Devon growled softly, reaching for a berry lip gloss. She wanted a little color for her lips, but not too much.  
  
            "Yes, I'm aware of what you said, as well as the fact that when a girl says she's almost ready there is still another twenty minute wait ahead of you. I am also aware that a girl who feels pressured or harassed moves faster." Greg's sweet voice floated through the door.  
  
            "All right, but if I mess up because I'm rushed I'll have to start all over again...." Devon said just as sweetly. She smiled, almost able to see him wince. "Oh, come in. I'm dressed already, I'm just doing my makeup."  
  
            "Thank God for small favors..." Greg mumbled as he walked in, catching the small pillow Devon had thrown at him and placing it on her bed as he sat down on the end. Devon dusted some blush on her cheeks, just enough to show over her golden tan. Softball season had ended at the end of August, but she still hadn't lost most of her tan.  
  
            "No need to thank me, Gregory. I do these things for myself." Devon smiled as she saw him roll his eyes in her mirror. She picked up the small can of spray-glitter she'd bought and sprayed some in front of her, closing her eyes and stepping into it. She felt a slight chill as it settled on her face, neck and generous amount of exposed chest. She didn't have much of a chest, really, but the dress made her appear to have enough to pull it off.  
  
            Devon flipped her head over and sprayed the glitter all in her hair, crunching it with her fingers as she sprayed. When she flipped her head back over and stood up straight, it was with a small cloud of glitter surrounding her. She turned around for Greg to see and stood expectantly, waiting for his opinion.  
  
            As she waited, Devon couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked in his white suit. It was styled just like Cinderella's Prince in the Disney cartoon, gold trimming and all. With the gold crown on his head, he looked like any regal prince that had the decency to grace a Fairy Tale. She and Greg were to go as the King and Queen of Light, while their other two best friends, Dina and Rob, were to go as their nemesis, the King and Queen of Darkness. Devon wasn't sure about the other two, but she sure felt that herself and Greg were doing a fine job of imitating their chosen titles.  
  
            "You look like you stepped out of a storybook, Devon." Greg said approvingly. Then he walked over to her dresser and picked up her glittering gold crown, setting it lightly but firmly on her head. "That's the icing on the cake, oh edible one." Greg said with a smirk. Devon laughed and punched him in the arm lightly before taking his arm and dragging him up to the mirror on her wall. She looked at both their reflections and nodded her approval. They were both regal looking.  
  
            Devon focused on her dress; it had started a war, that dress. Her parents had been so furious with her for buying the three hundred dollar dress, that they had tried to ground her. What they hadn't counted on was her argument against such an unjust action be so well-founded. It was her own money she was squandering, money that she had spent all summer slaving on the softball fields for, so why shouldn't she spend it on what she wished? If she were being foolish, well, it was her own fault and she could kick herself for it later. She had no one to blame but herself. So, in the end, she won the argument, and was not punished on the firm belief that she would kick herself later.  
  
            But, oh, that dress... It was more of a gown really. It was a shimmery white, almost like silk or satin, and it fell in elegant folds to her toes, barely showing the shimmery gold slippers she wore. The dress itself had long, gossamer sleeves that flowed out at the end like wispy bells, and a tight bodice that tied near the low, square neckline. Devon knew if she were any less tan than she was right now, she never would have been able to pull this dress off; the gold embroidery and trimmings alone would have made sure of that. But her, shimmering with glitter from head to toe, with the gold crown on her head, in perfect intonation with her golden hair, which was rippling down her back in shimmering waves, was the perfect picture of any person representing the Light. With Greg, tall, blonde and equally tan, standing next to her, they would be the life of the party-- that is, them and their dark counterparts, if they were as well prepared for this occasion as herself and Greg were.  
  
            Devon came back to herself to see Greg's honey-colored eyes sparkling with mischief at her. She knew what he was thinking without his saying it. He was thinking "Daydreamer". That's what everyone called her when she lost herself in thought, which happened quite often.  
  
            "Oh, shutup, you. We're going to be late and it's all your fault." Devon stated, pulling him toward the door. They were supposed to meet Dina and Rob at Dina's house so they could make the most dramatic entrance possible at Josh MaCanon's party. Every year, Josh threw a huge party at his house on Halloween, and a prize was given to the most creative couple, or couples. This year, The Quartet, as they were called, were hoping to win that prize.  
  
            "All __my fault? Woman, I think that glitter fused into your brain and sucked out what few brain cells remained after all those years of hair spray." Greg said, chuckling softly. Devon just looped her arm through his and propelled him downstairs. Her parents were waiting at the bottom, her mother with a regular flash camera, and her father with a Polaroid. She and Greg posed as any young King and Queen would at the bottom of that stairs, with their backs straight and their chins up, the barest hint of a commanding smile on their faces, while her parents snapped pictures wildly.  
  
            "I'm spending the night at Dina's with Rob and Greg, so I won't be home tonight." Devon said as she kissed her mother and father good-bye. Her father handed both her and Greg a Polaroid each.  
  
            "Have a good time, and good luck!" Her mother said as her father opened the front door.  
  
            "We will," Devon and Greg said in unison. Both of Devon's parents smiled and waved as they walked out the door, quickly grabbing the nearby bowl of candy for the trick-or-treaters stampeding up the porch and nearly running over Devon and Greg.  
  
                                                                                                            * * *  
  
            Rob and Dina were, indeed, a sight to behold. They both had pulled off their roles just as well as Greg and Devon. Dina had bought the exact opposite copy of Devon's dress; it was black and shimmery with silver embroidery and trim, and against her pale skin, it looked wonderful. The fine silver glitter she wore all over looked stunning on her, and made her cool, gray eyes stand out even more. The sparkling silver crown on her head completed the picture. Rob was also the prefect escort for her; they both had the same blue-black hair, but his eyes were more hazel. His costume was also a mirror copy of Greg's; it was black with silver trimmings and such, and the crown on his head matched Dina's.  
  
            Dina's parents also came out and snapped pictures, handing us a Polaroid each, which Devon tucked into a hidden fold in her dress with the other Polaroid. After seeing that picture, Devon had to admit that the four of them were definitely going to be getting people nervous tonight. It wasn't just the costume that won the prize at the party (which was never disclosed until someone won it, and was different every year), it was how well you pulled it off. The four of them were going to be putting on quite an act tonight. They had to act perfectly regal, shooting cunning remarks at their rivals (and each other, as they were Light and Dark), and at the same time showing they were each others equals and partners, for darkness could not live without light, and vice versa.  
  
            They had all agreed to walk to the party since it was only about two blocks away. They somehow managed to arrive in one piece, though not for lack of boisterous trick-or-treaters trying to run them over. They all took a moment to collect themselves and step into character; Devon once again linked her arm through Greg's as Dina did the same with Rob behind her. It was agreed that she and Greg would enter first since it had been Devon's idea for the costumes, and, in Fairy Tales as well as movies, Light always reigned over Dark, though they feigned equals. The better person never overstepped themselves to prove it, but it was generally acknowledged.  
  
            Greg gave her an encouraging smile, then pressed the doorbell of the enormous house. Well, either an enormous house or a moderate mansion, Devon thought ironically. That was all she had time for, however, because the door swung open, revealing Josh, looking impeccable in his tailored suit as he posed for James Bond, with a lady on each arm.  
  
            "Welcome to the party, Majesties!" Josh said with a deep and graceful bow. "I'm ever so delighted that you decided to grace us with your presence!" With that he stepped to the side, waving his arm expansively for them to enter.  
  
            Devon was sure she was not imagining the sudden hush that fell over the party. As she and Greg entered, with Dina and Rob in close attendance behind them, a man with a clipboard murmured to Greg.  
  
            "Together, majesty?" He meant, of course, the four of them. At Greg's imperious nod, he jotted something down on the pad attached to the clipboard. As Devon looked around, head held high, she saw more than a few disappointed faces. She allowed herself an inward smile, noticing that Josh was eyeing those people as well. As a man dressed as a butler (__Josh's younger brother, Kane, her mind noted) gestured for them to enter the "ballroom," she turned a blind eye on everyone in the room, and started toward the ballroom with Greg, both tall and proud--and in their element.  
  
            __I think tonight might be quite the success, Devon noted as Greg swept her into a graceful, regal dance, flowing smoothly to the slow, classical song that had just begun. Just before Greg whirled her away from the entrance, she saw Josh murmuring to the man with the clipboard, and saw him furiously scratching names off as Josh scanned the crowd quickly, obviously dismissing the people who would not win. Devon couldn't help the small, self-contented smile that tugged at her lips.  
  
            __Yes...quite a success. This is only the beginning, and look how many we've knocked out of the running. She caught Dina's eye and knew she was thinking the same thing by the slight, but acknowledging smile any Queen would deliver to an equal before she, too, was whirled away._


	2. Choices

          When they'd arrived at the party it was a little after seven. It was now quarter to twelve. The first four hours of the party had been a true trial for Devon. She wasn't sure about the others, but she was definitely of the opinion that acting like a Monarch was hard work! She'd spent the entire time picking out the "nobles" from the crowd (and there were nobles, mostly from the Renaissance period, but a few from the Middle Ages) and letting them approach herself and Greg. If one or two of the lesser peoples there dared to approach her, she turned her nose up to them and simply did not acknowledge their presence. It made her feel bad to do so, because these were her friends, but they were all in their characters, and a Queen simply could not lower herself to converse with these people.  
  
          _Unless you're like Queen Selenay of Valdemar, a tiny voice in the back of her mind added. Devon sighed inwardly and smiled at something her friend Tammy, who was dressed as a scullery maid was saying. The first four hours of the party were all acting your character, but the last two--the two that Devon suspected were the only reason people even showed up--were just casual talk and dancing with your friends. Devon was tucked back in a corner with--of course--Rob, Greg and Dina. Tammy had just wandered over, and was all excited about seeing who was to win this year.  
  
          "I really hope I stand a chance this year...I figured if I showed up in a maid's costume I had to help and maybe that would score me some points." Tammy said hopefully. Tammy, was not very remarkable though her five-foot six towered three inches over Devon's five-foot-three, she had brown hair and eyes, but was extremely friendly and treated the most insignificant person like a Queen themselves when she talked to them. For that, Devon held her in the highest respect. "Though I doubt anyone stands anywhere near a chance next to you four," she said enviously. "You four were the stars of the party."  
  
          At that moment, there was a muffled shout and conversation died down around them for a moment before people got to their feet and started towards the doors to the former game room, also known as the "ballroom."  
  
          "I guess we're about to find out just how good we actually were, Tammy." Devon said with a smile as she stood and linked arms with the girl. Tammy clasped her hand in an excited manner and very nearly dragged her through the doors. Greg, Rob and Dina followed closely behind, chuckling. They were just in time to see Josh leap up to stand on one of the DJs enormous speakers. The man, amazingly, didn't say anything about it, and merely handed him a microphone.  
  
          "Ladies and Gentlemen! Animals of all kinds! Majesties!" Josh shouted into the microphone, as if he were the Ringleader of Barnum and Bailey's Circus in his best performance. At the word "Majesties," he bowed once again, in Devon's groups' direction, making Devon's heart flutter in anticipation. Josh never gave anyone any kind of recognition during his announcing ceremony, and he's actually bowed to them! They must have had quite the performance indeed!  
  
          Oh__, __Devon__, shutup! Don't count your chickens before they hatch! She scolded herself, but Josh was going on.  
  
          "Now, I thank you all for coming, but you all knew that this moment of finality would come. You were all very good actors and actresses, but there can only be one winner...figuratively speaking, that is. This year, there are four winners, all of whom performed immaculately and are well deserving of the prize, which, this year is two trophies and two scepters as usual, but also four picture frames in which to put the picture we're taking." Josh looked around at all the anxious faces before holding out his hand for the clipboard. As soon as it was in his hand, he flipped the pages before letting his eyes rest on the winners names. Only then did he raise his eyes and speak into the microphone again. "I am proud to announce that the winners are our very own Kings and Queens, Rob, Greg, Dina, and Devon!"  
  
          Devon felt like the world dropped out from under her as she was swept forward by hands that paused in their roaring applause to propel her toward an opening directly in front of the DJs table. Once there, she looped her arms though Greg's who was on one side, and Dina's, who was on her other, as the rest did the same, and they all took a bow. When they turned to look at Josh, who'd jumped down from the platform, he had his arms full of their prizes. It was agreed that the boys would get the trophies, and the girls the scepters (This had been arranged when they first came up with costume idea, in case they won).  
  
          Devon accepted her scepter with barely suppressed enthusiasm; it was a shiny gold color and had a fiery red globe at the top made of glass, with fake gems sparkling down the gold casing holding it on. It was beautiful, and was obviously made so it looked almost real; all said, Devon loved it.  
  
          As all four of them moved closer together, with the two girls on the inside and the boys with one hand on the shoulder and one on the scepter of their respective partner, Josh directed the cameraman. Juts before the flash went off, Devon felt her eyes tear up like she was going to cry, and her eyes go distant as she smiled rather like someone who's touched the stars after trying forever, and realizing it's no longer a challenge.  
  
          __This is the last time I can do something like this...She thought, just as the flash went off and she was momentarily blinded. Then she shook her head, as if clearing her eyes of the flash. __Don't be ridiculous! You can come again next year and give it a whirl. But something deep inside her disagreed. Somehow, she knew, without a doubt, that she would not be back to compete next year.  
  
          She resolutely told that nagging, sad voice in the back of her head to shut up and leave her alone, and smiled and accepted the half-disappointed congratulations thrown at her left and right. As the party began breaking up, her little group held back. Josh walked over to them, grinning ear-to-ear.  
   
          "You guys really put on one hell of a show tonight! This is one party that will have everyone talking for years! How did you guys do it?" He was looking from one to the other like a puppy begging for a treat.  
  
          "It was Devon's idea," Dina said, laughing flirtatiously at Josh. Devon rolled her eyes with a secret smile, knowing how much Dina liked Josh. "She just had to have that dress...and I had to have this one."  
  
          "And it looks dazzling on you," Josh said, moving a bit closer. Devon traded a look with Greg and Rob and they all started walking toward the door.  
  
          "We'll meet you outside, Dina!" Devon yelled as she stepped out into the cool night air.  
  
          It might have been unnaturally warm weather lately for Connecticut, but the nights turned cool, and Devon could just see her breath puffing out. The air felt wonderful against her skin, but she didn't have much time to revel the feeling; a rough hand reached out of nowhere and spun her around, bringing her face-to-face with Roger Smalls. He was an ugly redhead with a temper to match his hair, and notorious for not bothering to hide that fact.  
  
          "If it isn't the Queen herself!" Roger snarled, his face inches from hers. She could tell by the smell of his foul breath that he'd been drinking--probably for quite some while now. "I'm so sick of you and your little popularity clique living it up without giving anyone else a chance!"  
  
          Devon might have been paralyzed by his words, but Rob and Greg weren't; they lunged at Roger simultaneously, fists ready. Roger might have been drunk, but he knew he couldn't use her as a shield, and it would be foolish to hold onto her with one hand and fight with the other; he shoved her away from him with far more force than necessary just as Rob and Greg each landed a punch on an eye. The force of his shove sent Devon stumbling into the street, and before she could recover her proper footing, she saw the headlights and knew, beyond a doubt, that it was too late anyway. She heard the screech of tires as the car tried to stop, but she knew it would never, in a million years, be able to stop in time. She heard shouting in the background, but it all seemed so far away...  
  
          Devon's last thoughts before she felt an impact that threw her forward with an odd crunching sound onto the hood of the car were that she had been right; she wouldn't be here next year for the Halloween Party.  
  
                                                                                                * * *  
  
          __Devon__ was standing in the middle of the most beautiful meadow she'd ever seen in her life. She was standing in the middle on one of the many rolling hills, in her white dress, which was in perfect condition. At first, she couldn't imagine why she had expected the dress to look otherwise, but then she remembered; the accident. Just as she felt tears well up in her eyes and threatening to fall, a warm, comforting hand fell on her shoulder.  
  
          "Don't be sad, __Devon__. All is not over yet." A sad, soft male voice said. __Devon__ turned to see a beautiful man in clothing as white as her-- though his looked different. It seemed vaguely familiar, but she could not remember where she had seen it before. The man had black hair, and eyes almost as dark, and completely fathomless. All this she took in in less than a heartbeat.  
  
          "But...I'm dead. I'll never see my friends or my family again..." Now the tears did fall, and the man silently pulled her into his arms, rocking her gently as she cried for herself, all that she could have done had she lived, and all that she left behind. It was quite a while later that he led her to sit on a pristine white blanket, and took a seat beside her.  
  
          "You might be gone from the world you knew, but you have other choices...all is not set in stone yet." There was something in his sad tone that gave __Devon__ pause, some underlying statement that implied she should be remembering something, but she didn't know what that something was.  
  
          "Choices?" __Devon__ echoed weakly. She was positive now that there was something that she should be remembering, and it was so close, but hanging just out of reach.  
  
          "Yes, choices." The man paused, looking at the rolling mountains in the distance. The mountains have a strangely purple hue to them... Almost like that song you learn in Elementary School__, __Devon__ thought wonderingly. Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for Amber waves of grain. For purple mountains, majesties.....  
__  
          "You, my dear, have more than one," the strange man said in a stern tone that demanded her complete attention, which she readily gave. "Throughout your life you were seated in a position slightly above others, mainly because of your wealth, that it was your parents and not yours is notwithstanding. What is noteworthy, however, is that you never took advantage of this except when necessary. Not when it really counted. There were the childhood quarrels, of course, but humans are not, by any means, infallible." He paused for a moment and stared deep into her eyes before continuing. During those few moments, __Devon__ felt as if her were looking into her very soul. "I think it unnecessary for us to name situations such as I'm referring to.  
  
          "I do think it necessary that you understand, however, that it is for that reason, as well as your true heart--and some other, rather interesting circumstances--that you are getting the choices you are. These choices are not to be taken lightly, for they will determine the path you will take from here. You may take all the time you wish to decide, but I do not think it will take you very long." He said this last with a smile, which __Devon__ returned uncertainly. Devon waited for him to go on, but when he remained silently studying her, she tentatively spoke up.  
  
          "What exactly are my choices, sir?" __Devon__ questioned, her voice only wavering slightly.  
  
          "You have only two, but one is very interesting indeed. You may go on to the Havens, or you may go to Valdemar as a Herald." He sat silently once more, watching her carefully.  
  
          "Excuse me?" __Devon__ sputtered. "I can go to Valdemar__?! Valdemar doesn't exist__!" __Devon__ was more than a bit put out. Here she was, dead and lost, and some--some moron thought it fun to poke at her while she was at her weakest!  
  
          "Valdemar does, indeed, exist. It is a world that runs parallel to yours. I believe you have heard of the television show "Sliders"?" The man looked, in all respects, like someone who is having a grand old time and trying very dearly not to show it.  
  
          "Yes...that's the one with the crazy people with a device to travel from one world to the next, because there are dimensions of Earth that exist side by side....are you telling me that Valdemar exists beside Earth on a different plain of existence?" she asked incredulously. She had to be in coma or something. That's it! She was in a coma in a hospital bed; she wasn't dead after all!  
  
          "You are very much dead on Earth, youngling." The man said with a very somber expression and tone of voice.  
  
          __Devon__ paused for a moment to reflect on that, once again holding back tears. She would never again see her friends, but neither of her choices would change that. No matter what choice she made, she would make it alone, and with the hope that whatever her choice would be, it would be best not only for her, but for others as well.  
  
          "If I went to Valdemar, would I be a hindrance or a help?" She didn't even want to ask how she would get there yet.  
  
          "You would be a great help. You know from reading Mercedes Lackey's books that they can always use more Heralds." He sat quietly expectant of her next question.  
  
          "Would I have to be reborn and start over again, or simply sent as I am?" __Devon__'s mind was whirling in an attempt to keep up with things that it never should have had to cope with.  
  
          "You would be sent as you are now, arriving in Companion's Field. The whole point of this choice was you, in some ways, died before your time." He leaned back on his hands, his legs out and ankles crossed before him.  
  
          Devon's mind finally seemed to wake up from it's slumber, and she remember what had been nagging at her a while ago. "You're the Shadow Lover, aren't you?"  
  
          The man merely smiled at her sadly and said, "What is your choice, __Devon__? I believe you have made it already."  
  
          Devon swallowed hard; she had, indeed made her choice. She was one of those people who daydreamed all the time about becoming a Herald, and if she could help by being one, no matter how tough on her it would be, she would endure it. "I wish to go to Valdemar as a Herald."  
  
          The man stood and beckoned to someone behind her. Immediately, two misty forms presented themselves on either side of her, and one in front. Suddenly, she was drowning in eyes so blue it took her breath away.  
  
          :I am Arden, and I Chose you.:__ A gentle, yet deep voice said in her mind. There was no doubt in __Devon__'s mind that she had made the right choice when she felt the flood of love and warmth flooding into her mind from him.: Hold on tight, Love. We're in for a rather bumpy ride.:  
__  
          That was all the warning __Devon__ got, and she'd barely gotten her arms around __Arden__'s neck when there was a blinding flash of light--in which she saw the strange man smile at her sadly one last time--before the world dropped out from under her._


	3. Confrontations

            It was in the wee hours of the morning after the Sovvan Celebration had taken place that Queen Selenay jerked awake, bolting upright in bed and awakening her husband, Daren. He sat up just as quickly as she had, instantly awake, his eyes scanning the room for danger. When there appeared to be none, he turned to his wife in puzzlement. Selenay ran a hand over her face, just as puzzled as her Consort. She could not remember what had awakened her.  
  
                "What's the matter?" Daren asked softly, running a soothing hand over his wife's hair.  
  
                "I don't know. I can't remember what woke me..." Selenay leaned her head on Daren's shoulder. "I need a breath of fresh air; feel like taking a walk through Companion's Field with me?"  
  
                "It's freezing outside! Why not just stay here where it's nice and warm?" Daren nuzzled Selenay's neck invitingly. Selenay chuckled but shook her head.  
  
                "I need a breath of fresh air," she said firmly, and flipped back the blankets as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. By the time she had her cloak and boots on, Daren already had his boots on and was looking for his own cloak. "Well, if you insist on freezing, I might as well join you so we can warm each other up after." Selenay chuckled at that, but simply walked toward the door, waiting for him so they might walk out together.  
  
                By the time they reached the field, they noticed something odd; all the Companions in the Field were outside. And stranger still was that they were all up at the Temple ruins. All the Companions but two stood in a half- circle around the crumbling remains of the entrance, while the other two stood one on either side of the archway. Intrigued, Daren and Selenay started toward the strange sight, wondering what might be going on that the Companions would all be outside in the cold at this late hour.  
  
                About this time, Selenay and Daren both noticed that the wind was getting increasingly stronger, forcing them to wrap their cloaks around them tight to keep them from blowing open after every step. As they got closer to the Companions, Selenay noticed something odd--her Companion was blocking her out! A quick mindcheck with Daren--it was useless to try and speak through this wind--confirmed her thoughts that his Jason might be blocking him as well.  
  
                Selenay was just about to mindspeak Dirk to wake him and Talia up to bring outside to see this sight as well, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. As she spun around, heart pounding in her ears, she saw none other than Talia herself, Dirk scrambling up beside her. Talia's face mirrored her own confusion, but before either of them could try to shout over the wind to make themselves heard, the world rocked around them.  
  
                Selenay fell to her knees, feeling as if she had run into a brick wall. The very ground rumbled, and the air thrummed with a power that had her ears ringing and hair standing on end. It felt as if a great Tug of War was taking place between two very powerful forces. There was a blinding flash of light that erupted from the sky to the ground; the entire ordeal lasted only an instant, but to those four, it felt like an eternity. After that flash of light, the world righted itself, but as Selenay looked up, she got another shock that made her scramble to her feet, her jaw hanging practically to her knees.  
  
                                                                                                                                                                * * *  
  
                Devon was in bad shape. She felt mere seconds away from spilling the contents of her stomach all over the ground in front of her. She felt her numb arms lose their grip on Arden's neck, and she slid slowly to the ground. When she hit, she fell onto her side and lay there, feeling far too ill to move at all. The world spun around her like a top, and even the light from the moon high overhead was hurting her eyes horribly. She felt, for all the world, like she had juts received a great blow to the head and just was not in pain yet.  
  
                As Devon turned her head slightly to the side, she noticed a small group of people--at least that what she thought they were, though who could tell through her blurred eyes--standing motionless and staring at her. As she blinked to clear her eyes, one broke away from the group and ran up to her. It was a man, that much she could tell. Just as she was about to blink to clear her vision even more, the pain that had been absent before hit her like--well, the car--and sent her mind reeling. She heard herself choke as she refrained from screaming, but the pain was truly unbearable. It came in waves, and upon each wave, it grew stronger and more forceful. Devon wasn't sure if her eyes were open or closed anymore, but waves of an angry red were swimming before them. Just when she thought for sure she would either pass out or go mad from the pain, she felt someone gather her into their arms, sending the last jab of pain through her head that sent her spiraling down into darkness.  
  
                When Devon awoke again, her vision was filled with green. It took her fuzzy mind a moment to realize that there were people in green clothing spilling out of the room as well as swarming around the inside. She seemed to be in bed, but she was too exhausted to move her head and find out. As soon as she'd blinked her eyes, they'd noticed she was awake and began babbling questions at her. Devon's befuddled mind couldn't have understood them if they'd spelled out every word for her. She gathered up her energy for a good long scream--and suddenly, she wasn't alone and confused. She was overcome by a wave of love and warmth; but it was the feeling of complete and utter understanding that broke through the fuzziness and forced tears out of her eyes.  
  
                _:Chosen__, it's all right. They just don't understand. Talia is on her way to explain what little Rolan was able to convey to her. They simply do not know you cannot understand them.: Arden's voice sounded wonderfully warm and comforting. Devon was able to relax just a little, until Talia did make her appearance. And what an appearance it was, too. She showed up at the door shouting orders--Devon didn't much care what they were so long as they rid her off all those voices--and chased everyone out with an authority that her small figure should not have been able to retain.  
  
                Devon blinked at her hazily as she walked over to the bed--the room was empty now--and said something. Devon's hazy brain simply couldn't keep up with the words.  Talia frowned and leaned closer; after peering at Devon for a moment, she straightened and called out something. The door behind her opened and a stern looking man in Healers Greens walked in. He and Talia had a short conversation before she stepped back and he took over.  
  
                He leaned over her staring into space for a moment before gently touching her forehead. He jerked his hand back once as if he received an electric shock, then placed his hand on her head once again, this time more slowly. After a few seconds, Devon's head started clearing. She could slowly see everything around her clearly once again, and she wasn't so muddle-headed. She could think enough to realize exactly where she was now.  
  
                __Oh my God, I'm in Valdemar....  
  
                 For a moment, all Devon did was sit there in shock. She really was in Valdemar; she really had been killed. She would never see her friends or family again....That last realization brought a wave of grief that threatened to send her into hysterics. She fought back tears, knowing that if she started crying, there would be no way for her to stop.  
  
                Devon knew, from all the books she'd read, that Arden could not yet eavesdrop on her thoughts; their bond simply was not strong enough yet. Devon decided to use that for now. Arden had hinted before that everyone thought she could not understand them. That was true; she couldn't understand them because she couldn't concentrate on their words. As she listened now to Talia talk to the Healer, she realized that she could understand them. They were speaking English!  
  
                __I guess English is Valdemarian...either that or more was done by the Shadow Lover than I thought... She thought absently. But her attention immediately snapped to what Talia was telling the Healer at the mention of a familiar name. She listened while trying to pretend she couldn't understand a word that was being said.  
  
                "Firesong is riding through Haven on his way toward the border. We've already had a mindspeaker ask him to stop by the palace and help us try to figure this--current change of events--out. We just don't know what to make of her, Andrel." Talia was saying. Her brow was creased with worry lines and she was frowning.  
  
                "Why is Firesong traveling through Haven? I thought he was staying at k'Valdemar permanently," Andrel said, looking puzzled. Devon listened closely, still blinking fuzzily, this time faking it.  
  
                "He is, but he's still Tayledras, and they're focused on reforming ley lines where they used to be. At least I think that's what they're called." Talia shot a look at her out of the corner of her eyes before walking over to her. Devon looked up at her and smiled faintly.  
  
                "I have to get her to the council chamber so the Queen can question her. Firesong should be here by now and his __dyheli can give her Valdemarian- -or so says Elspeth." Talia obviously thought she couldn't understand a word that was being said, and was still talking to Andrel. I can't believe they are being this careless, Devon thought in amazement. Then she had to stop herself and be fair. Well, it isn't every day a seventeen year old girl pops up in the middle of the Grove hanging on to a Companion for dear life...but they should still be more careful with what they say. The most interesting things fall upon the deafest ears...  
  
                 But that thought reminded Devon that when Heralds deemed it lawful they pried into unsuspecting minds. __Think, Girl! What was it those books said about grounding and centering? Close your eyes....now....find yourself. All right...so far, so good. Now I need to stick a pole in the ground outside.... The thoughts came quickly, and Devon found she could grasp the concepts quite easily. It was as if the moment she had entered Valdemar, a barrier inside her mind had evaporated. Since she could feel where that barrier had been, she could easily build it up again since she knew what needed to be done. Once she'd ground herself into the ground, she had the odd sensation of something snapping back into place. Once she was sure she had it right, she built up a wall, layering it to make it thick and unreadable.  
  
                __Well, that's as good as I can do for now...but I think I did a damn good job for someone with no experience! Satisfied for now, Devon opened her eyes to see Talia watching her with a vaguely surprised expression on her face, but she didn't say anything more, just smiled and gestured towards the door.  
   
                Devon slowly slid off the bed--she was still wearing her Halloween costume, complete with crown and slippers--and after a slightly dizzying moment, followed Talia out the door. Once in the hall, the door shut behind them and Talia turned to her and pointed to herself.  
  
                "I'm Queen's Own Herald Talia," Talia said, speaking clearly and slowly. It was all Devon could do to keep from bursting into laughter. As it was, she had to play her role as Queen again--at least until she was found out, or she gave herself away. She kept her expression carefully neutral and her step light and graceful, gliding down the hall with her head held high. She could tell by the openly shocked expressions of the few passing servants at this late hour that she was doing her self-appointed role justice.  
  
                The rest of the walk passed in silence, and as they passed down numerous hallways that kept twisting, it occurred to Devon that Talia was leading her in a purposely confusing path. Well, Devon thought, mildly impressed, they aren't mistaking me for brain-dead after all; they simply think I'm deaf to their language. One final turn brought them down a hallway that looked somehow older than the others. As they neared the middle, Talia stopped beside large double doors with two guards standing outside. Devon eyes them with mild interest; they were, indeed, wearing blue clothing.  
  
                Talia nodded to the guards and they opened the door, revealing a room with a long table and chairs all around it. Some of the chairs were occupied, but most were not; Talia walked in and motioned for Devon to follow. Once she did, the doors swung shut behind her.  
   
                "This is Herald Trainee Devon, Chosen by Arden, the newest of the Grove Born Companions." Talia announced. Devon, with her act in mind, looked at Talia in mild interest once her name was spoken. She graced the room with a slight nod of acknowledgment before allowing herself to be led a little further into the room. Talia motioned to the attractive blonde woman at the head of the table and told Devon--though she didn't need to-- that that was Queen Selenay. Talia then turned to face Devon and gestured to a sleepy-looking man and woman, both with silver-streaked hair. The man's was dark, as was his complexion compared to everyone else in the room, but the woman's was brown. Both their eyes were an icy blue.  
  
                "This is Princess Elspeth and Darkwind k'Sheyna." At Devon's nod, Talia moved on, indicating the others in the room and repeating their titles. Karal was sitting there, looking awake, but puzzled, as was Altra, who was in his guise as a housecat, sitting on the table to Karal's right. The two Gryphons, Treyvan and Hydona were seated against the right wall, staring at her intensely. The last one to be introduced was Sejanes, the envoy from Hardorn.  
  
                Just as Talia was leading Devon to her seat, the doors opened behind her, and Devon whirled to see five more people walk through and stop just inside the threshold as the doors shut behind them. Two were maybe in their twenties, a man and a woman. Devon looked them up and down thoughtfully for a moment before deciding they must be Darian and Kiesha. The other two were a bit older and seemed more composed, as if they did this sort of thing often; they also had complexions like Darkwind, but the man had snow white hair. This had to be Snowfire and Nightwind. The last also had long hair as white as snow, but he wore a mask over his face. It was Firesong; it had to be.  
  
                Devon felt a slow rage building up inside her. She turned to look from Karal to Firesong, then, before Firesong could blink, she stepped forward, pulled her arm back, and gave him a good, hard right hook. He staggered backwards into the doors as his mask flew off and landed several feet away. There was a sudden scraping of chairs as everyone in the room stood up, and two hands grabbed her roughly from behind. Someone was yelling, but Devon wasn't paying attention; her entire focus was on Firesong, whose shocked blue eyes were staring at her from a face seamed with scars left by Need when she exploded in his face.  
  
                "I said to let her go!" Talia yelled, pulling whoever it was that had dragged her away from Firesong off of her. As she felt the arms leg her go, she shrugged her shoulders to resettle her dress, and let Firesong know she wasn't sure if she was done yet. Meanwhile, Talia was still going on. "She doesn't know our tongue, and she is wearing a crown. She is a potentially dangerous political mark, and your grabbing her is not bound to improve that!"  
  
                Devon slowly turned to face a very angry Talia, her own expression cold. She slowly reached up and tugged the fake crown from her hair. She looked from Talia to Selenay before stepping toward the table and bringing the crown down hard on the edge. The plastic snapped into several pieces like a twig, the sound making everyone in the room jump.  
  
                "I am not," Devon said through clenched teeth, " a queen. Nor will I ever be. I am just Herald Trainee Devon Laureate. I am not from Valdemar, or any other place that you've ever heard of. I am no danger to any of you politically or otherwise." She slowly turned around to face a dumbfounded Firesong. "Except maybe you."  
  
                "You can speak Valdemarian?" Talia asked quietly. The rest of the room was dead silent. "Of course." Devon said just as quietly, still seething with rage. Firesong! The Firesong who'd threatened to kill Karal! Oh, she would make him pay one way or another.... The entire room was dead silent for a moment, then it erupted in chaos with everyone shouting at once._


	4. Surprise Encounter

          Devon had been in the council chamber for hours. It was definitely at least mid-morning by now, if not early afternoon and she was getting increasingly frustrated with everyone in the room. She had long since given up on shooting daggers at Firesong with her eyes every few moments. He had retrieved his mask from the floor and replaced it, so all she could see of him were his eyes, which were hidden in shadow anyway. All in all, her glaring was wasted on someone she wasn't sure was even noticing it.  
  
            Silverfox had appeared shortly after her little episode, watching Devon's every move like a hawk waiting for the right moment to stoop down on his prey. Devon could not have cared less. She'd had people at her school that had made her feel more uncomfortable than this kestra'chern could ever hope to manage; she knew he would not harm her. He might make her feel about thumbs'-length tall with a verbal assault or a well-placed comment or two, but he would never strike out at her. After all, that is exactly what he'd been sent to prevent Firesong from doing so long ago.  
  
            Devon now had a vague idea of the time frame she was dealing with now. It was definitely after the Mage Storms trilogy, and Kiesha and Darian seemed to have been married for a while now; they had a small boy of about eight that was whispered about to one of the servants who went to check on him and bring him some of the twin's old toys.  
  
            Everyone else was discussing what they thought should be done with her; Devon simply sat back and let the words flow right in one ear and out the other. She could not, in all her life, been more disgusted for even a moment that she was right now with the entire situation. Currently, Firesong was putting his dollar-and-a-half into the conversation, saying that they should find out exactly how she managed to get here so they could send her back. Apparently he was concerned about his safety. Firesong was thinking only of himself. How apt.  
  
            "If we figured out how to stop the Mage Storms, then I think we can handle the appearance of one little girl!" Firesong exclaimed. This was not the Firesong of the Owl trilogy; he was shifting back into the arrogant, self-possessed attitude he'd had in the Mage Storms, mask or not. This was the straw that broke the horses back. Devon, thoroughly fed up with everyone in the room as well as exhausted beyond belief, shoved back her chair abruptly and stood. She was already at the door and throwing it open before Selenay's voice broke the sudden silence.  
  
            "Come back here and sit down, we are far from finished." Devon spun around, her hair flying and sending a fine cloud of sparkles fluttering to the floor.  
  
            "When," Devon snapped through clenched teeth, "in this entire discussion have you asked me anything? You take it for granted that you can figure me out all on your own." Devon turned to face Firesong, all her anger and frustration—not to mention hurt—focused on him. "And it is quite impossible to send me back; take my word for it. You would sooner sprout wings and fly around this room." At this, Firesong opened his mouth to speak, but Devon overrode him completely." No, I will _not tell you why! No one in this room has given me any reason to trust them at all, so why should I trust any of you? And half of you people wear white as an international symbol of truth, justice, and everything that's good. I must say I'm considerably more than a little disappointed and disgusted." She looked from face to unreadable face, their silence making her all the more angry. With a disgusted snort, she spun and walked through the door, slamming it behind her so hard that dust fell from the frame.  
  
            As Devon ran past the startled guards, she felt Arden's calming presence enter her mind. __:I think it would be wise, Chosen, to change your clothing. If you think that White's are targets, then what you're wearing now it positively screaming "I'm foreign!": This made Devon pause in her flight and think for a moment. She knew that new trainees needed to be fit for their uniforms and then wait a bit, but she really didn't have time. It was around mid-day; everyone should be either at lunch, chores, or classes.  
  
            __:__Arden__, where is the Trainee's wing?: Devon made sure to think directly at him so as he would be the only one getting her thoughts. She felt his startlement, then his flood of approval before he answered.  
  
            __:I'll direct you there. Follow where I lead you.: Devon tried to memorize where they were going as he had her twist down hallway after hallway before he finally made her pause right outside a door. She looked up and didn't see anything different about it.  
  
            __:What's in there?:  
  
            :Housekeeper. You need uniforms.: Devon wasn't very happy. He knew she was impatient. But maybe if she just let her mind roam and see if she could sense anyone in a room.... She let down her clumsy shields and found there were a few occupants in several different rooms, but most were empty. She took a deep breath and put her hand on the knob of one of the doors where she sensed nothing inside, but just as she did, it opened and she was left staring open-mouthed at a boy who might have been Greg's twin brother. He was tall—much taller than herself—and had hair the color of honey held up to the sunlight. He was almost identical to Greg, except for his eyes. His eyes were a deep amber, the same as her own, and as she stared up into them she felt the rest of the world disappear.  
  
            Devon didn't know how long they stayed like that, with their gazes locked but it was a snicker behind her that broke the spell. She spun around to see a girl dressed in what looked like a blue uniform; one of the unaffiliated no doubt. And she was looking Devon up and down with the kind of smirk on her face that was just screaming "give me a chance to think up something nasty to say." Just as the girl opened her mouth to speak, Devon spun on her heel and raced down the hallway, leaving a cloud of glitter in her wake as it flew off her hair. Just as she tore around the corner, she heard the boy saying something that sounded quite a bit more than physically impossible to the girl. Devon was used to running, but not on no sleep. Soon enough she was gasping and had a kink in her side. She was running blindly up and down staircases and down odd hallways. Just as she was about to break down she noticed large double doors in front of her. As she swung them open, she found a rather busy room; this was good. No one would pay attention to her. And to her utter relief, there was freshly washed gray clothing stacked neatly by the door on a few racks.  
  
            Devon surreptitiously sidled over to the racks and snatched a random uniform. As she let it unfold in her hands, she saw it might be a bit big, but it would fit. She snuck back into the hallway, the uniform crumpled in her arms, and decided to have Arden direct her to the bathing rooms this time. He complied, sounding more amused than anything by her reaction to that boy and girl. As Devon walked through the halls, this time she kept to the shadows, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. Once in the bathing room—now empty—she shed her dress and pulled on the uniform, making a face at how uncomfortable it was compared to the clothes she normally wore.  
  
            She then balled up her dress and brought it with her, stopping a passing servant and asking him to have it cleaned. Devon looked down at herself and sighed; it wasn't her color, that was for sure, but it didn't look all that bad as far as size went. Whoever's uniform she'd stolen was practically her size exactly. The only thing that made her stick out now were her shoes; they were still the slippers she'd worn with the dress. She wasn't sure she wanted to try and pilfer people's boots; they might catch her doing that.  
  
            Once again under Arden's careful direction she managed to make it outside where he met her in the garden. He didn't approve of her stealing the uniform, but he knew she was not ready for confrontations with people right now, not after that meeting, and he accepted that. She grabbed a handful of his mane and pulled herself onto his bare back. In moments they were off running through the trees, the cold wind whipping Devon's hair out behind her and making her shiver. When they near a grove of trees, Arden slowed to a stop and let her sit on the ground, curling his warm body around her and shielding her against the worst of the wind. He didn't say a word; he knew she needed quiet and sleep, neither of which she would get at the palace, so he just sent her comfort and reassurance, letting her benumbed mind know it was safe to sleep.  
  
            Devon's head was, indeed, spinning like a top. All she kept seeing was that boy's face. That was a face she wasn't going to forget. And he looked so much like Greg! He had the same high cheekbones, lips and even the same shape face. It just wasn't fair that she would have to see someone who would remind her so much of the life she'd left behind. It didn't matter that she wouldn't have been able to go back anyway; what mattered was now she was aware that there would be a constant reminder of her past life.  
  
            When it became clear that her head would explode before she fell asleep, she felt Arden smoothing out her thoughts with his own, overwhelming her mind and sending her into a deep slumber. Her last thought before the blackness surrounded her was to wonder who that boy was and maybe if she could get to know him._


	5. One Girl Revolution

Authors Notes: All right hehe here's the deal. I'm sorry I didn't comment sooner but I kept forgetting, and, well, I'm lazy. ( As for this story, I've been very, very busy. I graduated high school and things have been just a bit more than psychotic. I might be really slow-as if I haven't been already, right?-but I'll try to keep up with it. As for Devon...she doesn't hate Firesong, just strongly dislikes him; he's acting just like a snob. I know I wouldn't like him right now. He's very...certain of himself and she dislikes that. Never fear, she won't kill him...After all, you'd be surprised what you can live through...(  
  
As for everyone else; please review! I really like to hear that people like my story (or don't) and when I see reviews I think, "wow someone is actually reading this! I'll get the next chapter up fast so they'll do it again!"  
                                                                             

*        *        *        

          It was to sudden warmth and a gentle rocking sensation that Devon awoke. It was a very slow process; Arden had really knocked her out. As she came around, she realized someone must be carrying her. She fought the darkness that threatened enticingly to suck her back down, focusing instead on the faint sound she knew must been footsteps. At least, she couldn't think of anything else the rhythmic crunching might have been. It was a slow, drawn out sound, as if the person was fairly tall and walking a bit quickly.  
  
          Come _on, girl. This is just like one of those trances Master Don had you go through in Karate! Concentrate and pull out! Now that she thought about it...it was rather like Master Don's trances. __So Companions use the whole mind over matter technique? And their __Chosen__ had no clue at all, probably because they did not know any better. After all, a psychiatrist does not let you know when he's going to try reverse psychology on you. You either know or don't. Well, this just keeps getting interesting. I'll have to remember that; maybe I can use it myself on them if I have to...  
  
          By now, she'd succeeded in cracking her eyes open just a bit, but it was better than nothing. She felt as if there were loony toon anvils hanging on her lashes, and she was the Coyote, trying to push them aside. Needless to say she did not exactly savor the feeling. But the more she fought against those anvils, the easier it was for her to open her eyes, and the clearer her head became. It was as if she was in quicksand before, and someone had thrown a rope around her waist and she was slowly but steadily being drawn out.  
  
          It took a few minutes more of struggling before she was able to blink her eyes slowly open, and then they wouldn't focus. Devon concentrated on blinking a few time to get her eyes to focus, when a deep, soft voice startled her, actually making her jump as she felt the chest she was held against vibrate.  
  
          "You really should rest. Your Companion just may leave a nice hoof print or two on my rear, you know." There was a small chuckle as she jumped, during which she felt his arms tighten slightly. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to startle you."  
  
          Devon blinked several more times before she was able to raise her head from it's comfortable perch against his shoulder and make her eyes focus, and when they finally did she felt a shock run through her entire body at who was carrying her. It was the boy she had nearly run into! He looked down at her face as she stared at him, and she noted in a detached sort of way that his eyes were a deeper amber than hers, nearly brown in color.  
  
          "That's quite all right. I just didn't know you were aware I was awake." She smiled tremulously up at him. Gods, she thought in awe, he really does look an awful lot like Greg. If it weren't for the eyes--and the fact that Greg was a little shorter--they could have been twins. "I can walk now; you don't have to carry me."  
  
          The boy smiled charmingly at her and gently settled her onto her feet, keeping one hand on her arm and her other on her back lest she lose her balance. She wavered only for a moment before her karate training kicked in and she caught her balance. "I'm sure you already know, but I'm Devon Laureate." Devon paused, positive that this boy would recognize the hint for what it was.  
  
          "Oh yes, it's all over the palace. I'm called Kris." Kris said, removing the hand behind her back and simply looping her arm through his before setting a much slower pace than he'd had when he'd been carrying her. She'd been walking smoothly, but this revelation made her stop dead in her tracks, forcing Kris to stop as well. He looked at her with a politely inquiring expression on his handsome face, but said nothing.  
  
          "You're Kris? As in Selanay's twin son, Kris? Brother to Lyra, named after Herald Kris who died on Ancar's command?" Devon knew she was close to babbling, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Kris blinked at her for a moment before he spoke his expression sharp, as if looking for a hidden motive.  
  
          "Yes, that would be me." He paused for a moment, as if unsure of whether or not he should continue. "Not many people know I was named for Herald Kris." Devon started to get them walking again, but he gently held her hand on his arm and stood still, ensuring she could not go anywhere. Devon swallowed softly then steeled herself for a response; she was nowhere near ready to talk about how she got here, and to tell him how she knew he was named for Herald Kris would lead into that.  
  
          "I think you underestimate how quickly gossip travels. What I repeated was merely rumor that has not yet been silenced. When you answered my question with an affirmative, you simply confirmed rumor to be truth. People assumed that when Selanay named her son Kris, it was after her beloved friend, as well as trusted Herald." Devon smiled uneasily and shrugged slightly. Kris hesitated again, as if unsure of whether or not to believe her. Before Devon could begin to panic, a nudge to the small of her back sent her stumbling forward, trying to regain her footing. As soon as she did--which was fairly quickly, even by Kerowny's standards--she whipped around, already in a fighting stance, before she even knew what it was that had touched her--and came face-to-face with a very amused Arden.  
  
          "Arden! Didn't anyone tell you it isn't nice to go around scaring your poor, unsuspecting Chosen?" She put her hands on her hips and mock-glared at him, all the while sending him a wave of gratitude through their weak link. She noticed another Companion with him, this one a mare--which was snorting in a way remarkably like human laughter. As Devon turned to look behind her, she saw why. A much-disheveled Kris was sprawled on the ground, looking very much like he'd just been thrown off a horse. She couldn't resist laughing at the forlorn expression on his face as he stared up at the other Companion. He looked, for all the world, like someone had just shoved him naked into a ballroom full of people and locked the doors behind him to leave him with a suddenly silent, watchful crowd, complete with burning cheeks and ears.  
  
          "Honestly, Alina, was that really necessary?" Kris asked mournfully, which made Devon laugh even harder--and caused Kris to blush even more. He honestly looked as if he were about to explode.  
  
          "I'm sorry," Devon said, trying to control her laughter. "I know it really isn't nice to laugh, but the expression on your face..." Still giggling, Devon offered him a hand to get to his feet. Kris gladly accepted it, and looked vaguely surprised when she pulled him to his feet with relative ease.  
  
          Kris' Companion stomped her foot daintily as he brushed himself off, snorting softly. Devon had no doubt she was reprimanding him for something. "I know, Alina! I'm getting there, honestly." Kris muttered, picking a clump of grass from his hair. "Devon, this is my Companion, Alina. Alina, this is my new friend, Devon, who I'm sure you've heard of by now." Devon wasn't sure why, but she felt a slight pang at the word "friend". Maybe it was the fact she'd been so terribly close to Greg, but she had the feeling it went deeper than that.  
  
          Suddenly, a girl who had to be at least three inches taller than Devon came running over, looking impatient. She was tanned, probably from working out in the sun, but her hair was white, and her eyes an icy blue. Her entire attitude toward Kris spoke miles. She passed Devon with barely a glance, standing right in front of Kris. "Kris! I've been looking everywhere for you! We have court in less than a candlemark and you're not even close to ready!" She whipped around abruptly to face Devon, who refused to take a step back even as the girl came right up in her face. "I'm Lyra. I can take you to your room as Kris gets ready." With that said, she took Devon firmly by the arm and started off at a rather swift pace that would have left anyone even slightly out of shape breathless. As it was, Devon was slightly out of breath herself, still not recovered completely from her injuries, though well on the way thanks to the Healers. She looked once back over her shoulder to wave at a startled Kris.  
  
          As soon as they were out of earshot, Lyra rounded on Devon, her eyes narrowed to slits. "You stay away from my brother. I don't care for dancing in diplomatic circles when it comes to people like you. I'll be blunt with you; I don't like you. You walk in the palace as if you own the place and pretend to be blind and deaf to those around you-until Firesong shows up, and then you go and hit him, unmasking him in front of people. That's an extremely embarrassing position to be put in when you've hidden your scars for so long. And poor Talia on top of it! She had to face down an entire Council of people who are now doubting her because you did not let on you understood our language! They hold her at fault for not realizing, because it is her job as Queen's Own to look for the hidden signals. You hold yourself as if you were the Queen herself, and then I turn around, and you're making calf-eyes at my brother! I will not mend his broken heart after you discard him like a broken toy! You will tell us nothing about yourself, but immediately dive into our political circle and snag the most prominent member, and I know you're going to wring him out like a sponge until you have all the information you can possibly get out of him. I will not have this going on right under my nose, so it stops here and now, before it has the chance to properly begin."  
  
          Devon stood quietly through all this, throwing up walls to hold herself back, portraying no emotion whatsoever. __Calf eyes, she thought__. Honestly. I was not making calf eyes. She could almost see the girls concern for her brother and the rest of the circle. She would make a wonderful queen someday--but that day was far off, and she had much to learn before then. Instead of yelling and screaming and going into the tantrum that Lyra obviously expected, she faced down he girls angry accusations with cool, thoughtful words, putting just enough emotion into them to be read as sincere. "I am not ready to speak of myself yet, and when I do you will all understand why. As for your brother, I did not know who he was until he told me only a few moments ago. I see him as a potential friend, and little else. He reminds me of one of my very best friends' back home, whom I know I will never see again. I have reasons for my actions, Lyra, which will come to light when I explain where I am from and such. As for discarding your brother like a broken toy--that is something I simply would not do. Not to him or any Herald, or anyone else for that matter. What do you think I am? Some kind of monster? I assure Arden would not have Chosen me were that the case." She stood impassively, waiting for the axe to fall.  
  
          "I __don't know what you are. You won't tell us, remember?" Lyra said bitterly, her eyes scalding. Devon smiled faintly, she couldn't pass up a chance like this. She could feed Lyra the chorus of a song from Legally Blonde quite beautifully--some words slightly altered, of course--then stalk off to find a room. They were in a main hallway, pages flowing freely about them, taking care not to jostle either of the two stopped dead in the middle of their paths.  
   
          "I am everything that I would want to be. I have confidence in its security. I am a voice kept waiting to be heard. I'll shoot the shot-bang-that you hear 'round the world." Devon had held arms up as if shooting an arrow right at Lyra's forehead as she said the word bang, making the girl take a startled step back, and now she closed the distance between them to whisper in the girls ear as a page skidded to a stop to keep from crashing into her. "I'm a one girl revolution." Devon smiled sweetly, knowing her eyes were sad as she took a step back and gently caught the arm of a passing servant. "Excuse me, but could you take me to Herald Teren so I might find myself a room here?" The page nodded in shock--everyone in the hallway had either stopped or slowed down while she sang the chorus softly, and they now watched her as she walked away, following the page. Devon could feel Lyra's eyes burning holes in her back as she walked off, ignoring the girl completely._


	6. The Big Mistake

          "This is the day that wouldn't end. Yes it goes on and on my friend. Some people started scheming it, not knowing what it was. And they just kept on scheming it forever just because...they found it amusing to toy with me," Devon sang softly, revising the words to that annoying Lamb Chop Sing-along song to fit what she was thinking. She just finished with Herald Teren, and she was most certainly not pleased. She had asked him for a room on the ground floor, so if she wanted to go see Arden, she didn't have to worry about going down a whole flight of stairs and getting lost in some unknown corridor. Not to mention if she ever wanted to get out of her room late at night, unnoticed, it would make things a great deal easier. Not that she wanted to tell _him that._

            But apparently, it hadn't mattered much anyway. Teren had insisted that there were no rooms whatsoever open on the ground floor. Devon knew for a fact he was lying through his teeth. When he had been asking her question to see what mathematics and such she knew, she had inched forward ever so slightly every time his eyes shifted and seen the sheet he had been looking at. There were three rooms open on the ground floor, and only two on the second floor where she was placed. And now, here she was, currently in residence on the second floor, with people spewing lies at her from every known direction and expecting her to eat them up like cake.

            _Well, Devon thought bitterly, __it's too bad I don't like cake._

            _:__Chosen__, why not come out to see me now, before the dinner bell?: Arden inquired softly. She could feel the underlying sense that he wanted to take her mind off Teren's actions, but also that he wanted to be close to her._

            _:I'll meet you by the gate.: Devon said with a mental sigh. She could only hop he wasn't going to wipe her memory of the file she'd seen for the rooms. __Then again, our bond isn't so strong yet as he can see my thoughts all the time. Maybe he doesn't know I saw the sheet; he probably just got the gist of my emotions through our bond. As she was thinking, she was walking  down the hall, trying to find something resembling a staircase. _

            _:Chosen, do you need help navigating?: Arden asked gently, not wanting to pry._

            Devon had come out in the middle of a long hallway. Below her, she could see the gardens, now vacant because of the cold weather. She looked down one end of the hall, then the other, seeing nothing but more doorways. She might as well hop out the window right here. She was on the ground floor, so she really didn't have that much of a drop; seven feet at the most. She could land that in her sleep. _:Thank you, no, __Arden__. I'll be just fine. Meet you at the gate to the Field.:_

_            Devon pushed open the window, which complied with a shriek and a blast of cold air. __Oh well, too late to turn back for a cloak now. I don't even know if they gave me one yet. She'd gone to housekeeper and gotten measured, but they had simply sent her off with the knowledge that her uniforms and such would be delivered to her room. Her boots would be ready in about a week. Until then, she was wearing her slippers, or some rough lace-up boots they'd supplied her with. She'd found the slippers to be far more comfortable._

            Devon shook her head to clear it, then hopped lightly onto the windowsill. She looked down, making a face at how the ground looked further off than she knew it really was. Deciding it was too late to turn back now, she turned herself around and lightly dropped down to dangle from the sill by her hands—but not before she saw the startled faces of two guards in the unmistakable blue uniforms. She hung there for a moment, hearing one of the men yelling, "Trainee Devon!" too late. She knew he thought she had simply jumped out the window. She heard the other one grunt a sharp order to alert the other guards, but made it sound like they had been looking for her to begin with. 

            Sucking in a breath of the frigid, snow-scented air, Devon loosened her fingers and dropped to the ground, landing feet first then rolling to absorb the impact. She looked up to see two startled Bardic Trainees sitting on a bench in the otherwise deserted garden. They looked to be about her age, give or take a year or two. One, the girl, had auburn hair and deep, brown eyes. The boy had dark hair and dark blue eyes. She must have interrupted their tryst, but they couldn't have been there very long, seeing how she had looked out the window before jumping. With an inward sigh, she smiled brightly at them as she stood up, pulling a leaf from her hair.

            "Hello! I'm sorry to drop in like this and run, but I really must be going now." Devon saw, out of the corner of her eye, a few guards coming out into the garden. When they caught sight of her, they started purposefully in her direction at what appeared to be a cross between a quick walk and a jog. They were trying to make it seem like they weren't in too much of a rush. With another smile and a nod to the two Trainees, and a militarily precise salute to the pursuing guards, Devon turned on her heel and was off like a shot, vaulting bushes and benches like a track star. A muffled curse behind her and a lot of heavy breathing followed by crashes and more cursing signaled the presence of the Guard in hot pursuit. 

            _:__Arden__!: Devon mind screamed at her Companion, fighting down the urge to scream aloud. __:Why are they after me this time!?: She felt what seemed very much like a mental wince, though she was hard put to see if it was from her shout or another reason._

            _:Just let them take you to the Queen. It seems they found the photographs you carelessly left in the pocket of your dress and have some questions to ask you—not the least of which is why Kris appears in the pictures with you on his arm.:_

_            :That isn't Kris! It's Greg! Tell them!__: __Devon__ yelled at him. For all her playing sports, she could not run like this forever, at top speed. She was already wearing down, bit by bit, though by the strangled gasps resonating from behind her, she was faring better than the Guard._

_            :They are not listening, Chosen. Simply let them take you to the Queen so you may tell her yourself.: Arden's mind voice sounded strained, as if he wished he could help more, but was at a loss as to think of how. She knew she was really shaking things up around here, and the Companions could only interfere so much on her behalf._

            _:I will not__ be dragged to see the queen with a guard on each arm and more surrounding me as if I were some common criminal! Actually, I think that most criminals would be better treated than I have been so far! I'm sick and tired of this! This is where it ends.__ Right here, right now.: Cold with fury, as well as being blasted by the wind, Devon skidded to a stop on the hard ground, the gate to Companion's Field just in sight. She was out of breath, but not gasping and red faced like the guards that staggered t a stop and eyed her warily. Her side had just begun to hurt and she stood tall, her eyes narrowed as she faced the guards._

            "It seems we have two choices here," Devon began, already well into getting her breath back. "I can either continue running until you all drop—and I assure you, I will run you until you drop. I've already proven my stamina is much better than yours—or I can go to the Queen of my own volition, without an armed escort. You may stay here and catch your breath if you wish." She would have gone on, but before she could say so much as another word, an image flashed through her head. A man about a head taller than herself was sneaking up behind her. He was swathed in blue, so he must be another Guard, but he was ready to jump her from behind. She felt her eyes widen, and she didn't know how, but she enlarged the scene she was watching to see the three guards who had given chase still in the positions they were in now. Which meant that if she didn't move, she was in trouble.

            Devon sank back into karate class, waiting until she could sense the man coming right up behind her and actually hear the wind as he spread his arms to grab her. That was when Devon took a small step forward, so when his arms came around her, she had leverage. One arm was around her neck and the other around her waist, just as she had thought he would do. He looked, from her vision anyway, young. He must be a new recruit. And he hadn't moved agley, so he couldn't have been Kero's Skybolts. That also meant he couldn't have any hand to hand training. 

            Devon quickly put her hands up to grab his arm, jabbing her elbow back into his side in the process, then she slammed her heel down on his instep. That didn't have as much of an effect as she would have liked, seeing hw she was in her slippers and not the hated boots, but he still jumped to stand up straight with a shout of pain. The arm around her waist loosened, giving Devon the room to raise her arm and knock him squarely in the nose with her fisted knuckles. That made him stagger back, but he made the mistake of still holding onto her neck. She plated her foot on the hard ground and pulled him back into her, using his startled momentum to tumble him over her head to land on his back with a loud "WOOF!" that knocked the breath out of him.

            _:Chosen, was that really necessary?: Arden asked as he slowly walked over to her, avoiding the poor man on the ground who's nose was turning into a swollen, bloody mess._

            _:It was something I had to do. Now they know that I'm not to be toyed with, and next time to simply request my presence.: Devon paused for a moment, looking around in distaste. __:__Arden__, could you please give me a ride back to the palace? My legs are going to start shaking in a moment.: Arden immediately complied, striding over to her and standing rock still as she gracefully pulled herself onto his bare back._

            There were no more guards waiting for her as she reached the palace entrance.  She slipped off Arden's back and he sent her a wave of love and understanding as she stumbled on the promised shaky legs. She smiled weakly at him before drawing herself up and walking into the palace. She knew where the queen was by the handful of guards outside the door, who all turned to look impassively at her as she approached, with only one raised eyebrow as their eyes darted about, looking for the guards that were nowhere to be seen.

            She looked directly up at the one who had raised his eyebrow and shrugged, tossing her hair over her shoulder and pulling out a twig and another leaf. "My present to you." She murmured to the guard, taking his hand and placing the leaf and twig in it before moving smoothly past him and opening the door to look in on a bunch of once-again startled faces.

            "May I ask what I have done this time to deserve an armed guard to come for me?" Devon asked, her voice sugary sweet and a dazzling smile plastered on her face. The queen was seated directly across from the door, Lyra and Kris seated on one side of her and Talia on the other. Firesong, Darian, Kiesha, Elspeth, Darkwind and Karal—with Altra, again in his guise of housecat—were all wearing grave expressions, not moving an inch as she stepped further into the room, kicking the door gracefully shut behind her. 

            "Speaking of the guards, I've just been informed that three of them are out of breath and picking up their fourth counterpart from the ground to take him to the Healers. It seems he has somehow acquired a rather prominent broken nose. I wonder how that happened." Selenay said quietly. No one else so much as blinked.

            "I believe that I am the cause for that, Majesty. He made the mistake of trying to take me from behind. Arden saw the whole thing and did not interfere one way or the other, so I assume it's not totally wrong of me." She held the Queen's eyes angrily. She did not deserve to be treated as such, and she wasn't going to stand for it much longer. "Again I ask what I did that I deserve an armed escort, Majesty." Devon said quietly, letting some steel creep into her voice.

            "It seems we found something in the pocket of your dress that you neglected to remove upon sending it to be cleaned," Selenay replied smoothly, and suddenly Devon knew. All the color drained from her face as she stared at the queen, thinking they wanted her to explain the photographs. The damned photographs that her father had taken of herself, Greg, Rob, and Dina. The photographs that Devon had forgotten to take from her pocket. The photographs that the Queen had obviously gotten hold of. She now took them from her lap and laid them on the table, while Devon just stood there, despair oozing from her every pore, not knowing how she was going to get out of explaining everything now. But the Queen was going on. "I want very much to know exactly how you managed to get my son into this tiny piece of paper. And the names of the other two people you are with."

            Realization flashed through Devon like lightning. They thought she had spell bound Kris into the photograph! The idea of these people actually thinking that she could do such a thing because of a mere photograph was overwhelming. Gone was the shock she had felt before, though the despair remained. Devon sank to the floor slowly, tears pouring down her cheeks as she became hysterical. Whether she was laughing or crying remained to be seen, but she knew one thing for sure; the time had come to tell her tale. And pray to whatever God you held holy that they did not deem her mad and cloister her off.


	7. Reliving Death

            Devon sat there on the floor for what seemed like hours, waiting for another exe to fall; something—anything, really—to happen. But no one moved. Selenay sat in her chair like a statue, Talia equally as stiff beside her, but looking as if she were having a rather hard time distancing herself.  Everyone else in the room was staring at her as if she'd gone mad, with the exception for two people; Firesong and Silverfox. Silverfox seemed to be having the same problem as Talia, and Firesong seemed to be working himself into a rage.

            "You were asked a question, by the Queen of Valdemar herself. Will you deny her an answer? Stop this show and get on with your explanation!" Firesong shouted, jumping to his feet and pounding his fist on the table reflexively. Devon was too stunned by this to do much but sit and blink at him; he'd stopped even her tears with his demand. Then, as if she were giving herself up, Devon felt the shields she'd thrown clumsily around herself in a desperate effort to lock everything away come crashing down around her in a million jagged shards. Silverfox rocked backward in his chair as if pushed by someone, grabbing for Firesong's arm to steady himself, but Talia actually fell off her chair onto the ground, the barrage of desperate emotions too much for her Empathy.

            Devon dimly noticed the Queen jump to her feet and shout orders, but she was far beyond the point of caring. She let it all wash over her in waves, including the thoughts of the Guards outside the door. It seemed as if there were hundreds of voices in her head, but the Guards outside—and she was sure it was them—their thoughts were most prominent, almost as if they were shouting in her ear.

            _I wonder if they're gonna sentence her?_

_            What did she do to the other three?_

_            What kind of monster have the Heralds taken in now?_

_            Devon took all this in while barely noticing it, but one thing about the fourth guard caught her attention, even through the despair and self loathing that she couldn't do what she was sent for she felt; she couldn't sense him at all. Her shields were completely gone, and she could not even sense that the man was there, though she could tell by the other guards' thought patterns that they were, indeed, holding a four-way conversation amongst themselves. They were talking about who had what shift the next day._

            As she opened her mouth to say something, she realized that no one in that room would believe her anyway, and sank again into such a deep despair that she didn't even hear the commotion at the door until she felt a warm touch on her shoulder. She raised her head wearily to look into Arden's brilliant blue eyes. She realized, dimly that there were two other Companions behind him, and that the room was completely silent, save for Lyra speaking softly to Talia, who was still flat on her back. Arden lay down behind Devon, and as soon as he was settled, with her leaning against him, she felt a thick, sturdy wall slide up between her and the rest of the world. Then, as if by magic, she felt a second, and third wall slide up between her mind—and her emotions. The Companions behind Arden were setting up a kind of emotion block so she could endure what needed to be said—and done.

Devon raised dead eyes to look at Selenay, who was staring at her wide-eyed, then she let her gaze travel slowly around the table. It was quite crowded in the room with the three Companions, but in the silence, they moved around so they were placed against the walls, as much out of the way as possible. Devon saw Elspeth glare at one of them, and Talia staring at the other.

"Well, it seems we have all of the Grove Born Companions in residence.  Maybe now you'll believe me. Shall we start?" Devon asked softly, her voice devoid of emotion. She felt Arden's soothing presence at the back of her mind, trying to ease what little emotion was leaking through.

"It seems you've gathered the attention of the Companions, and now I want to know that as well. But first, I want to know more about this painting…" Selenay said, recovering her composure. Talia, with Lyra's assistance, was sitting in her chair again, wearing a slightly dazed expression, and Silverfox was staring at her with a strange, unreadable expression.

"Those are not paintings, at least not any kind like you've ever seen, nor will again." Devon began, nodding at the photographs. "You may want to truth spell me, though. That way you can be sure I'm telling you the truth. It would be better if it were the second stage so I would have to tell the truth. I might not know how to answer some of your questions." Elspeth nodded faintly and motioned that she would do it. Devon didn't feel any different, but then again, with so many shields on her, it was surprising she could feel her body, let alone anything in her head—that might have to do with emotion. Elspeth nodded at her mother, and the questioning began. The questions came so quickly, one right after another that Devon never even knew who asked them, her mind too numb to even care.

"What is your name?"

"Devon Tiara Laureate."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"What are these paintings?"

"They are not paintings. They are photographs. Images of people or events captured on camera and put automatically on film—that's what you hold in your hand—so the memories can be remembered forever simply by looking at the picture." There was a brief silence, and then Karal spoke up.

"Who are the people in the picture?"

"Myself, my very best friend Greg, and our other best friends Dina and Rob."

"Greg is the one whose arm you are on?"

"Yes."

"So that is not Kris?"

"Not at all. I did not even know Kris personally when that was taken."

"What do you mean personally?"

"I'd heard of him, but I hadn't known him myself." _Well, that is__ the truth. Wow, it's possible to suspend the truth even under Truth Spell._

"Where are you from?" 

"You've never heard of it." That response brought a chorus of murmurs, most of them incredulous; no one had ever answered like that under the second stage of the Truth Spell.

"What town are you from?"

"North Haven."

"North of Haven or Northern Haven?"

"Neither."

"What is the exact location of where you are from?"

"I am from the town of North Haven located in the State of Connecticut in the country the United Stated of America—in the New England section on the Eastern half of the country—on the continent of North America, on the third planet from the sun, called Earth." A few deep moments of silence followed this statement, during which Devon caught Kris looking at her oddly, almost as if he were discovering a new bone. She wasn't sure she liked it, and it hurt her to think he could look at her like that.

"How did you come to Valdemar?" The soft question was asked by Talia. She was watching Devon for a reaction, but as soon as the question reached her ears, Devon felt the shields around her—all three of them—snap up even higher and become thicker than before, so not even an ounce of emotion reached her. Now, Devon felt hesitation.

"I'm…not sure I understand what you mean." She was honestly puzzled. Did they mean exactly how she got here, or the story behind it? "Valdemar, Rethwallen, Hardorn, Karse, Iftel—everything you people know—was a series of books for me, fantasy. I read all the ones the author had produced right up until the point where I entered Valdemar." Now, Devon was feeling strain, not only her own, but that of the two Companions holding her away from the pain.

"But how did you get here?" Talia repeated softly. Devon took a deep breath, then looked at Rolan and Gwena. They were both watching her, and now, at her unspoken signal, she felt their shields slowly begin to come down. Arden was a pillar for her to hold onto, and she grasped that pillar with all her might, digging in her metaphorical teeth and nails, so this time, Talia was not flattened.

"I died." Devon felt tears streaming silently down her face, but made no move to stop them. "Look, I'm sorry, I know you don't trust me, but can you let down your shields—all of you? It will be easier on us all if I can simply show you what happened, rather than speaking of it. I already know I can project thoughts since I speak with Arden. It should not be that much harder to send images, and my shields are completely gone anyway." There was another brief, thoughtful silence before the Queen nodded her agreement—after a glance at Talia, who nodded almost imperceptivity—and Devon felt an almost overwhelming pressure of minds on her. She caught a handful of Arden's mane and clenched her fist around it, barely feeling his velvety nose nuzzle her cheek.

Devon let herself fall back into her memories, starting in her room that night. She went through the scene with Greg, throwing the images outside herself at the occupants of the room with such accuracy that she found herself reliving that night as if it were that very moment. It was rather strange to be able to look out her eyes and hear everything again, but not able to do anything besides watch and listen.  She did, however, feel the puzzlement and awe of the minds she was linked to as they saw the television set, stereo and lights in her room—but as Greg complimented her on how beautiful she looked, she felt a sharp stab of jealousy not her own. She shrugged it off as unimportant, and they didn't ask any questions, but then they were probably as caught up in the images as she was.

She sat back and watched with a kind of detached depression as she and Greg met up with Dina and Rob and they all left for the party. She felt tears in her eyes as she ran through the entire party, smiling at all the friends she knew she would never see again.  The party itself passed by almost in a blur—it wasn't really important, nothing noteworthy had happened—but it slowed down again as she got to the part where it was announced that they were the winners. Then, it seemed to Devon as if everything went into slow motion. She sat in a kind of stupor as she told Dina they would meet her outside. As Roger grabbed her, Devon felt a sense of impeding doom. 

_What could I have done differently? How could I have prevented this? I thought I was nice to everyone, but I must not have been. No---Roger was drunk. He didn't know what he was saying. She knew the others were hearing her thoughts, but at this point, she didn't care about much. She felt her entire being ice up from the inside out, trying to shut out every last emotion—and, thankfully, it worked. Devon felt shock after shock, all not her own, but the others sharing her experience's, as she was shoved into the middle of the street and the car was rushing up to meet her. She heard the sickening crunch again, then the scene went black. Before Devon could pull back—she didn't remember much more—the Shadow Lover's face popped up in her "vision," and he proclaimed that she had a choice, because it was not her time to de, to go to Valdemar and to help. Devon heard her own voice accept, only after making sure she would be a help and not a hindrance, and felt a stillness in the minds around her. _

Then the scene faded, like the end of a movie, and with a great wrench, Devon tore herself away from the other minds. When she came back to herself, she was slumped against Arden and the other occupants of the room were half-sprawled on the table, as if they'd all suddenly fallen asleep. Most of them had straightened themselves, but Kris was already at her side, telling her she had been lost in her memories longer than most of the rest of them. He slipped his arm under her neck and cradled her head against his shoulder, tears in his own eyes as he brushed her hair back from her face. Devon gently pushed him away, looking away from Lyra, lest she think she was trying to seduce Kris again, and trying to ignore the stab of pain that pushing him away cost her. She could feel his own stab of pain as she pulled away before his shields snapped back up, and that made tears leak down her face again. She felt Arden buffering her mind with his own, shielding her, though not nearly as strongly as she had been before.

"Well," Said Selenay as she cleared her throat softly. "I think we all know what happened now. Elspeth, if you would take the spell off her…" Elspeth seemed to snap back to herself and suddenly, Devon felt what she hadn't felt before, a slight release, and it was then she realized that the other two Companions were both gone, probably let out by guards who suddenly had the strong impulse to open the door. She would have to remember to thank them later.

Talia turned to Devon, her expression unbelievably sad. "I wonder that you live with the knowledge you possess. It's a wonder you kept your wits about you for this long. Would you mind terribly a few more questions before I get several mind healers to attend you?" Devon mutely shook her head no and stood up, the ghost of her old self surfacing; if she was going to be questioned by these people, she wasn't going to do so with her head lower than theirs. She took a few steps forward, then leaped up onto the table, landing neatly on the edge and dropping easily into Indian style; she was now higher than all the rest seated around her. She felt Arden's cool approval as he, too, stood, then quietly stepped out of the room, the door opening to reveal puzzled guards, the closing behind the Companion. 

_:Thank you, Arden.:_

_:Anytime, Love.:_

She wiped her face off with her sleeve, already feeling the skin tight across her cheeks from her tears. She had an idea of what was to come; the look on Talia's face gave her away. Sure enough, Talia's next words rang true to what she'd through she'd hear.

"You mentioned before that Valdemar was a story series where you are from. Were we characters in those books?"


End file.
